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Part: 12 Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536 Page 9899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127 of 1143
Was his interest independent of yours?
I think it was independent. I don't recall that we were the ones who suggested it. However, we did go to California and my husband was a consultant on the picture, and as you see, the Disney organization gave my husband a kind of Oscar--a man with a parachute strapped to him, like the regular Oscar, but it's a man with wings and a prachute, and a citation for his aid in making the picture. And his aid took largely the form of advice.
Had you know Mr. Disney before this enterprise?
No, I hadn't, but my husband had. When the picture was finished in 1943, my husband gave a large dinner at the Waldorf for a thousand people, to have a private showing at the dinner, with Miss Elsa Maxwell, believe it or not. Miss Elsa Maxwell invited a number of her friends; Seversky invited the people he knew and thought might be influential; and Albert invited the people we thought might be helpful. It was a large and astonishing private party of about a thousand people at which Albert made one of his rare public speeches. Seversky spoke, and the picture got a very enthusiastic reception, as I recall.
You say Mr. Lasker made one of his rare public speeches.
Yes, he hated to speak in public and very seldom spoke.
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